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Sunday, 4 March 2018

I bet I’m not the first person to tell you that a healthy
work-life balance is important. And I can guarantee, I won’t be the last.
November sparked an unexpected career change, one that I hadn’t invested much
thought into with regards to how I would actually handle the work load without
feeling overwhelmed.

Developing a career is most difficult at the best of times;
developing a career whilst maintaining some sort of social life seems almost
impossible.

I get it.

Staying in the office until you force yourself to go home,
checking and replying to emails on the sly and not being able to switch off
even when you’re with friends. But remember, all work and no play means you’ll
burn out quicker and not perform at your best.

Somewhat a loose loose situation.

And although this is relatively new to me, I’m beginning to
feel like a pro and somehow managing to find time to switch off from work mode
when and where it’s applicable to do so.

That being said, here are a few pointers we should all take
into consideration whilst trying to establish some day to day balance:-

Let go of the fear.

In this day and age we live in a society where saying ‘no’
is looked upon as a negative. However, over time I have learned that sometimes
saying ‘no’ is completely necessary.

I’m one of those people whose vocabulary seems to only
consist of saying ‘yes’ and believing that I can do anything asked of me but
sometimes that’s just not realistic.

Your boss is human too. Sometimes saying ‘no’ is
justifiable.

Your boss as well as yourself should understand the need for
frequent downtime.

I suppose it would be like leaving a child for the first time (not that I would know but I was trying to think of a relatable comparison). You can’t help but check, you can’t help but worry. Seriously, nothing is going to change or come crashing down overnight.

Create boundaries.

As I mentioned previously, saying no can be hard, especially
when your boss needs you or there’s an urgent deadline to meet etc.. Putting
your phone down after-hours isn’t always easy and if you’re similar to me, my
phone barely leaves my side. It’s something only others with high-demanding
jobs will understand.

But, is there anything worse than spending time with
loved ones or friends and finding it difficult to put your phone down or switch
off.

Be clear in your communication and let your boss know what you’re up to,
that way you can relax when you’re supposed to be relaxing.

Number one rule of
finding the balance is ensuring that you keep work and your social aspects
separate. Don’t let one seep into the other.

I now completely understand the reasoning behind ‘work’
phones.

Set appointments for yourself.

Just like your work appointments and to-do lists are
organised and scheduled, your downtime should be too. In order to make sure
you’re having a life outside of work, you have to plan to ensure that it’ll
happen. Look at your week, put in your work appointments and to-dos and see
where you have some free time spare.

For me, I try to schedule a few lunch time
catch-ups with friends to break up the working day.

Learn to manage your time
better and be realistic in the times you set yourself for tasks. See where you
are free and schedule in your much-needed breaks. Write it down and stick to
it.

Focus on energy, not time.

Our energy levels are all different and vary massively. So, it’s important to know your own energetic cycle and understand the times when you feel most energetic and when you feel most tired.

Once you’ve defined your cycle, begin to use your time more wisely; where you feel most energetic, be productive and the times where you’d rather be watching Netflix, actually do it! This will help you divide your time and create that balance.

Create the balance at home.

Sometimes we’re expected to be Wonder Woman and it’s not simply
possible. We’re the women who believe we have to do it all and think happiness
will just come as a result. But your home life has to be just as organised as
your work life. And I’ve said this a million times.

I feel as though I’m
beginning to sound like somewhat a broken record now.

If a million and one chores are holding you back ask someone else
to do them, or at least lend a helping hand whilst you get some work done.
Households work together and don’t just rely on one person. You have to
delegate at home.

Luckily,
I currently live at home with my family so this isn’t as big of an issue as it
would be if I were to live alone. However, I myself is included in the day to
day household chores so this is just as important for you home bodies too.